


Of Duty and Matters of the Heart

by SpeakerOfLies



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-16
Updated: 2014-02-10
Packaged: 2018-01-08 21:55:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1137835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpeakerOfLies/pseuds/SpeakerOfLies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Loki ever wanted was to be noticed by his father.. The opportunity arises for him to take over the family company and prove he's worthy, but when the asking price for recognition is so high, would he give up the one person he truly gives a shit about in order to earn his place in the sun and escape his brother's shadow?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into fic writing after a long *cough three year cough* hiatus. I'm rusty, so forgive me if it sucks. After being inspired by such bad-ass writers on Tumblr (ex. mithlomi, psychoticgirl, and teslatricity to name a few) I figured I'd write something about the infamous OTP I never knew I'd ship (and cannot get enough of) that is Loki/Sif.
> 
> Here is my offering to the Sifki gods and godesses.
> 
> (I own nothing, the great honour of owning these characters belongs to Marvel.)

The ice in Odin Borsson's glass of scotch made a gentle clinking sound as he raised the cup to his lips, looking directly at the young man as he sips some of his drink.

Loki stands in front of his father's desk in a power stance, hands balled up into fists behind his back. The lights of the city shine in through the large glass window in the office, leaving half of Loki's stern face obscured in darkness.

Odin sets his glass down and clears his throat. Loki straightens noticeably; his face never once slips from its serious set.

"How is she, the woman you're seeing?" Odin finally asks, leaning back in his chair.

He catches a flash of something in Loki's eyes at the mention of the girl, but it is quickly replaced again by the hard erinite of his eyes, a look he is accustomed to seeing in the younger of the two Odinsson men.

"Sif," Loki responds, "is more than fine." He turns his gaze away from his father to set his eyes upon a photo sitting on the mahogany desk. Encased in a golden frame is a photo of Thor beaming proudly, dressed in a blood red graduation cap and gown, the golden tassel hanging over the side of the cap. 

Loki could have sworn that he was next to his brother in that photo, as Thor had wrapped one massive arm around Loki's shoulders and insisted that they take a photo together. 

But it is Thor's face alone that is sitting in a frame atop his father's desk.

Loki's brows furrow slightly as he puts the memory out of his mind and warily looks back up to Odin.

He gives his father a small, proud smile. "She is to be promoted to Deputy Commissioner later this month."

Odin nods slowly, remembering the woman. She was the daughter of the late Captain Tyr, a great and well-known man in the city. He was a personal friend to Odin, the man the press called "the All-Father" due to his powerful position as C.E.O. of Asgardr Enterprises, one of the world's top companies. 

Odin stood, sighing heavily. He picked up a thick newspaper and his glass of scotch, handing the paper to Loki.

Loki looked down at the newspaper and took it reluctantly. He unfolded it and had to bite back a sigh as his brother's face looked up at him from the front page.

"As you've probably already heard, Thor has turned down my offer of taking over Asgardr Enterprises when I retire from the company, and quite dramatically so." Odin declared in his best business-like voice, standing in front of the large glass windows overlooking the city.

"Marched right through those doors," he waved a hand toward the wooden doors leading to his office, "with that Jane woman in tow and announced that he proposed to her. They are to wed in August."

Loki had to work very hard not to roll his eyes at Thor's foolish antics. Thot had always done some pretty foolish things, but this had taken the cake.

Odin turned to face his son, a frown creasing his face and mouth set in a hard line before he spoke again.

"Which is why I have decided that you will be the new head of the company when I retire."

Loki's brows pulled together quickly in confusion before he returned his expression to one of practiced indiffence. He raised one eyebrow skeptically.

"You want me to take the reigns after you leave?" Loki scoffed quietly. "You cast a long shadow, you know.. It'll be quite a hard act to follow." 

Odin gave Loki a small smile as he walked over to him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. Loki peered down at the hand, reminding himself not to move his shoulder away.

"I believe you'll do the company and family name justice. There is no better man for the job." Odin spoke with a tone of finality in his voice.

Loki took a few moments to think about everything his father was telling him, disbelief and gratitude at finally being recognized painting his thoughts.

"There is one thing I must add." Odin murmured, hand sliding off of Loki's shoulder.

Loki straightened again, wariness making his brows settle into a frown.

"You know that Asgardr Enterprises and Vanaheim Incorporated have been meaning to merge our companies together for quite some time now.." Odin paused, taking a drink of scotch before proceeding.

"An opportunity for the merger has arisen. One we would be foolish not to take."

Loki felt a lump grow in his throat until he could hardly breathe, fingernails digging into his palms as his fists clenched tighter.

Odin straightened; his posture becoming kingly as his features hardened.

"Loki Odinsson, you must marry the head of Vanaheim Industries' daughter, Sigyn Eskil."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki tells Sif about his meeting with Odin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still own none of the characters, that honour belongs to Marvel.

Sif didn't particularly enjoy rest days. She hated them even more when she was practically forced to take them. 

The Chief insisted that she take a personal day or two to herself to relax and unwind, but Sif knew that he was having her take a break because she was making the other officers look bad.

She took great joy in that thought.

Hanging around the condo she and Loki shared would grow tedious as the day progressed; it didn't help that Loki had put his foot down on the matter of her going to sit inside of her car, listening to her police radio scanner whilst biting her bottom lip out of anxiety.

It didn't help calm her nerves knowing that Loki had been summoned to a meeting with his father at the Asgardr offices. 

* * * *

Sif tugged on the emerald tie he wore, pulling him down to her so that she could capture his lips in a lingering kiss. 

"Wouldn't you rather stay home with me?" she whispered against his lips as they broke their kiss, arms wrapping around his neck.

He planted a light kiss on the top of her head. With a sigh, he placed his hands on rhe sides of her face, thumb rubbing her cheek.

"You know I would choose your company over his any day. Frigga insisted it was urgent, however, and we both know I cannot refuse my dear Mother."

Sif gave him a smile that she reserved only for him.

"Loki Odinsson, you are such a mama's boy."

He made a mock expression of hurt before grinning, pulling her body closer to his.

"Sif Tyrsdottir, you are insufferable."

* * * * *

Loki returned to the apartment three hours later than he claimed he would. Sif had fallen asleep on the couch to reruns of some eighties television program when the sound of a door opening and closing roused her from her nap.

His oxford dress shoes clicked against the wood floor as he slowly stepped over to where she was laid out in the living room, expression unreadable.

The raven black hair he normally kept slicked back was still combed into the neat side part he sported as he left to his father's office, the smell of Odin's musky office clinging to his clothes. She watched as he stood to the side of the couch with his hands shoved in his pockets.

Something was off.

Sif sat up slowly, legs sore from trying to sleep comfortably on the couch. She let out a yawn before speaking.

"How did it go with the All-Father?"

A few moments trickled by before he gave his answer. Sif grew nervous on account of Loki's silence. It wasn't uncharacteristic of him, but he never remained as quiet around Sif as long as he was now.

Finally, Loki spoke.

"Thor has rejected my father's offer to replace him when he retires.. He wants me to take his place instead. I will essentially run the company as CEO, and the burden of Asgardr Enterprises falls to me." Loki gave her a small smile, eyes shining with what Sif thought appeared to be tears.

She stood with a radiant smile on her lips as she padded over to where Loki stood. She placed a hand on the side of his neck, the small smile still on his handsome face.

"Loki, that is fantastic! It's about time your father gave you a shot.." She ran her thumb up and down his neck. "I'm proud of you."

The smile on his face slowly became a thin line. His eyes lost the playful glint they typically held and turned a hard olive color.

He lifted his hand to cover hers before gently pulling it off of his neck. Sif frowned as he did so, wondering what the hell happened between Loki and Odin.

"Sif.." he began, "If I am to take over the company, there is a certain term I have to agree upon."

She didn't like where this was going already. Her heart beat quickened at the sight of the pain Loki's eyes displayed so clearly. She stood straight, jaw clenched tightly.

"That would be..?" She inquired warily.

Loki's eyes turned glassy again, the lump in his throat choking him so tightly that he felt he could not speak.

"I must wed Sigyn Eskil as part of a company merger or forfeit my position in the company." His words came out strained, a twinge of sadness in his voice.

Sif glared at him in anger that quickly turned to disbelief.

"What do you mean you must marry? Loki, you musn't do anything. You're a grown man! You're fully capable of deciding who you can and cannot love on your own! Odin has no say in that." She fumed, arms crossed against her chest.

He frowned at her words, green eyes lit with a rising anger she knew all too well.

"My father," he hissed, "is practially fucking handing me the opportunity to show him that I am a worthy son on a silver platter. Something he's never once done for me. Finally, I'll have him see that it was I all along that deserved his praise and not Thor, the witless wonder."

Sif shook her head, unwilling to accept that Loki would be this willing to jump through hoops for a man that never paid any mind to him before.

"This is not the way to go about proving your worth to your father and you know it, Loki. Had he really believed you worthy, he would have come to you first to offer you the job.. Not after Thor turned it down."

Loki's look grew furious as his eyes blazed with a fire Sif had thought long gone. His lip curled, teeth bared as he snapped at her.

"Do not speak to me of proving one's worth. What would you know? You, whose father had wished for a son and instead got you? Tell me, what was it like to work your entire life to prove your worthiness to a man who hadn't wanted you?"

His head snapped quickly to the side, the hard smack of Sif's slap echoing through the condominium. 

Her chest heaved with the fury inside of her, glaring at Loki as his head turned back to face her slowly.

"You will never be like Thor," she sneered. "What makes him worthy is the fact that he doesn't even have to try so ridiculously hard to be."

A tear rolled down his reddened cheek, mouth hanging slightly open. Loki's jaw clenched shut.   
He straightened up and strolled past her angrily.

 

She didn't look back at him as he threw the door wide open.

 

He slammed the door so hard as he left that the glass of the windows quaked with the sheer force of his ire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my favorite things about the Loki/Sif pairing is how fucked up they can be to one another, so I thought it best to show some of that here.
> 
> Loki has such a flair for the dramatic, like myself. Although I wouldn't say that sharing character traits with him is necessarily a good thing..


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go awry.
> 
> (This chapter takes place four months after the events of the previous chapter.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do not own these characters.

They had been called over to Marion Street on a code 273D, domestic disturbance.

Her partner, Officer Fandral Flynn, had laughed at Sif's eagerness. His laughter earned him a middle finger and the promise of an ass kicking.

As they arrived to the dilapidated house, Sif couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach.

Regardless of her feelings, they exited the car together, walking over to the front door of the house.

"Why is it that every time we get called over to investigate something, you have to be the first one on the scene?" He asked her, a grin on his face.  
She rolled her eyes at him and scoffed.

"Ladies first, Flynn.." she paused to knock on the door before continuing, "Judging by how long you spend fixing that beard and hair of yours, however, I would say you classify as a lady.. So you can lead next time."

She smiled mockingly at him. Fandral was about to reply when they heard the sound of footsteps running around the house, followed by angry shouting.

Sif took two seconds to reach for the gun in her holster, moving over to keep her back to the side of the front door.

Fandral ducked under a boarded up window, his hand hovering over his gun.

A gunshot rang out from the house before a bullet burst through the wooden planks boarding up the window Fandral had crouched under, bullet barely missing his head as it whizzed by.

Sif snatched up her radio, words escaping her mouth in a frenzied hurry. 

"This is Officer Tyrsdottir, we've got a code 246, shootig at inhabited dwelling in progress. Requesting back-up." 

She heard footsteps as the shooter ran upstairs, looking over at Fandral and nodding quickly before Fandral stood and rushed to the door, kicking it open.

"Police! Put thea wweapons down, you are under arrest!" Fandral shouted, arms raised as he held his gun in front of himself. 

Sif barged in, ready to fire. They split up and looked around the house for the shooter. Sif spotted large bags of marijuana lying around the abandoned house, making a mental note to remind herself to recover the drugs when she heard footsteps from the second story above her. 

She looked up quickly to the ceiling before catching some movement from the kitchen out of the corner of her eye. 

She turned to try and catch what was moving before a shot rang out from somewhere off to the side of where she had been standing.

Sif felt a sudden, sharp pain near her ribcage before she lurched forward, falling onto her knees. She could barely make out a voice shouting her name before a series of gunshots filled the abandoned house.

She held her hand to her gunshot, blood staining her uniform.

Fandral had managed to gun down a shooter before rushing over to her. He pressed a hand to her wound as he pulled his radio out. 

"Officer down, we have a code 444." He looked down at the gunshot on Sif's torso, eyes full of worry. "Officer Tyrsdottir is down, I need back-up right now."

Her eyes fluttered closed, green eyes and a warm smile the last thing in her mind.

* * * *

The Chief of Police was none too pleased after he found out that one of his officers had been gunned down in line of duty and was now being rushed to the ER in critical condition.

The bullet had pierced her skin and became lodged in her left hip, just barely missing her colon.

Regardless of her good fortune at the gunshot barely missing its fatal target, the Chief was absolutely livid. Officer Tyrsdottir had always been reckless, but this time she had taken it to a new level.

Chief Heimdall hurried over to the hospital to check on Sif, pulling his phone out and scrolling through his contacts before finding the number he was looking for. He dialed the number and scowled, angered at the actions of his best officer.

Heimdall's little sister was going to get an earful, and this thought alone lessened his rage.

A little bit.

* * * *

"You're sure she's alright?" Thor frowned worriedly at Jane, her hand rubbing his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

When Heimdall had called him to tell him that his closest friend since childhood had been shot whilst on duty, it took every ounce of strength Jane possessed to keep him from barging out of their home and pummeling the now arrested gunmen down at the station.

Thor nodded in understanding at something Heimdall said over the phone, sighing in relief as his broad shoulders slumped.

"I'm glad to hear that she's doing alright, friend. We will go visit her a little later." He gave Jane a small smile. "Thank you, Heimdall.. Bye."

His jaw clenched as he hung up, his blue eyes clouded over by an emotion Jane couldn't indentify.

"What's wrong?" She asked Thor, whose intense stare was focused on his phone screen.

He looked over at her for a moment before dialing Loki's number and putting the phone back to his ear.

* * * *

His phone vibrated in his pocket for a few seconds before Loki finally pulled it out, his brow furrowing at his brother's name on his phone screen.

Loki let out a huff, annoyed at what was probably another attempt by Thor to talk him into going to see Sif. Something felt different this time, however, he could swear that there was something tugging at him, urging him to answer the call.

He thought about iit for another second before pressing the lock button on the top of his cell, rejecting the call. Loki slid his phone back into his pocket before turning his attention back to his parents and Sigyn.

Sigyn and Odin were talking about the works of Shakespeare, pausing every now and then to sip some tea before continuing their enthusiastic conversation.

His mother had been watching him, a look of concern on her face. She placed a hand over his, leaning in closer towards him.

"Is everything alright, darling?" She whispered to him. "What was that?"

He gave her a polite smile, ignoring the vibrating that had started again in his pocket before speaking.

"It was nothing, Mother. Wrong number."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loki is such a dick.
> 
> The Fandral I envisioned for this chapter is Zachary Levi's version of the character. 
> 
> Fandral's last name is taken from both Errol Flynn, the character Fandral was inspired by and Flynn Rider, the Tangled character that Zachary voices.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The calm before the storm, really..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing, as always.

After many a failed attempt at trying to reach out to his brother, Thor had grown angrier and angrier. Every dial tone stoked his ire and the slow beep of the phone grew taunting.

This was Thor's seventh attempt at reaching out to Loki.

He finally decided that trying to directly speak to his brother was hopeless, that it was time to bring in the big guns, someone that was less understanding of Loki's apalling indifference towards loved ones. Thor never liked to be driven to such extremes but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Thor dialed a new number, patiently waiting for his dear mother to answer as Jane drove them both to the hospital Sif was admitted to. 

The phone rang only twice before he heard Frigga clear her throat, the smile that no doubt graced her lips practically audible through his cell.

"Oh, my living, breathing ray of sunshine.. I'm delighted that you called, darling."

Smiling widely as though Frigga was standing in front of him, Thor let out a warm chuckle.

"Hello, Mother. I meant to join you for lunch like you had asked, but something came up.." He remembered Sif, eyebrows furrowing in concern.

"Is everything alright, dear?"

"Yes, Mother. I was hoping that you would please tell Loki to come to the phone, actually." They arrived at the hospital, Jane pulling into the parking lot and shut the car off, waiting patiently for Thor. He gazed at her lovingly as he raised his hand to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand whilst his mother went off to fetch Loki.

A faint hissing sound broke the silence at the other end of the phone call. Thor's plan had worked. Frigga always managed to get both Odinsson boys to do her bidding, as neither son could refuse their beloved, regal mother.

"Brother. It is always so nice to hear from you." Loki spoke coolly, a tone that Thor had grown accustomed to hearing whenever his brother spoke to him.

"Drop the blasé act for one minute, will you? I'm calling because an urgent matter needs your valuable interest for a few moments."

Loki gave a low chuckle.

"Blasé? Why Thor, I had no idea you possessed such words in your vocabulary. Should I be--"

"Sif has been shot, you condescending prick!" Thor snapped, tired of Loki's insults.

Thor had to pull his phone away from his ear to make sure that Loki hadn't hung up on him. His brother went silent on the other end of the call. Thor was about to call out his brother's name, but then he could finally hear Loki's shaky breathing at the other end, silenced by Loki clearing his throat. 

When he spoke again, his typically smooth voice came out strained.

"Where is she right now? Is she alright?"

Loki cleared his throat again, a choked sound.

"Please tell me Sif is not--"

Thor breathed out a quick "No." His hand rubbed at his eyes, knowing that Sif would be upset with him for calling her ex. He felt that Loki needed to know, however, and didn't want to keep him in the dark.

He listened to his brother's shaky sigh as he continued speaking.

"She's been admitted to Valhalla General. Jane and I have just arrived; We've come to see how she's faring.. Will you come see her?"

"I can't do that, Thor." Loki replied curtly, the side of his brother he knew all too well returning. "Sigyn and I are having lunch with Mother and Father."

Thor's jaw clenched tightly, his hands balling into fists. Jane removed her seatbelt, opening her car door, knowing full well that the conversation between the sons of Odin was about to come to an end.

"Of course. The woman you loved has been gunned down, nearly killed, and all you can think about is doing whatever will please Father." He got out of the car, hand gripping the car door tightly as his knuckles turned white. "Send your father and fiancee my regards."

He slammed the car door with a force that rocked the car as he hung up the phone and shove it into his jacket pocket, furious at his brother's fierce loyalty towards a man he once claimed to hate with every fibre of his being.

Calming down, he took Jane's hand in his own and held it, both walking quickly to the hospital building.

* * * *

Heimdall had every intention of chewing Sif out for getting herself into a hospital bed with a near fatal gunshot wound, but when he arrived at her room, she looked so fragile, so tired, that all of his rage dissipated into concern for his younger sister.

Heimdall and Sif were half-siblings that shared a father, but were born to different mothers. That did nothing to diminish their bond with each other, and Heimdall took to his responsibility as protective older brother with a carefully hidden enthusiasm. 

When their father passed and Heimdall became Chief of Police, Sif had chosen to follow in his footsteps. He had warned Sif that she would receive no special treatment and had to earn her place in the ranks of the police station, a task she took to heart.

Heimdall was proud of Sif's fierce determination and focus, but he had never envisioned her ambition would land her in a hospital bed after an emergency surgery to remove a bullet from her hip.

He sat in a chair at the corner of the room, watching over Sif as she rested, absentmindedly staring at the television on the other end of the room before a soft knock made him turn his head towards the door.

Jane and Thor stood in front of the open doorway, a large bouquet of sunflowers held in Jane's hands. He stood to give Jane a warm hug, clapping a hand on Thor's broad shoulder. Jane tip-toed over to Sif's bedside and placed the flowers on the small table by her bed.

'How is she?" Thor whispered to Heimdall, eyes roaming over Sif's resting form, eying her with a look of worry.

"She is well. They managed to remove the bullet from her hip; the doctors said she'll be here for a week or two until the pain subsides a bit.. Then she can go home." Heimdall looked over at his sister, a small smile on his face.

"That's good to hear, Heimdall." Thor placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a brief squeeze before letting his hand fall back down to his side.

They all watched television quietly for a half hour so as not to rouse Sif from her slumber, the hushed vibrating of a cell phone finally breaking the silence. 

Heimdall slid his phone out of his pocket, glancing at the screen before sighing heavily.

"I'm needed back at the station." He looked over at his sister, his hazel eyes appearing gold as his gaze lingered on her sleeping face. "Let me know if anything happens. I'll return to visit her later."

He gave a short nod to both Jane and Thor before leaving the room, heels tapping down the linoleum floor if the hall.

Jane walked over to Thor, planting a soft kiss on his lips before walking over to the chair Heimdall was in and sitting down.

Thor was about to speak to Jane when the unmistakable voice of his brother floated into the room from down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe that hospitals see more intimate and private moments between people than anywhere else, and in that belief, this two-parter was born.
> 
> Prepare yourselves: Anger and loads of emotional confrontation is coming. <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki's visit to the hospital.
> 
> Also, we learn of what went down at the lunch with the All-Father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't updated this in a little bit. Hopefully this makes up for it!

Loki never particarly enjoyed Thor's phone calls. He still wondered why he ever bothers to answer his calls. Their conversations turn sour rather quickly, and this one was no different. 

"Send my regards to Father and your fiancee." Thor snarled.

Loki had no time to respond to Thor before he heard the beep that signalled that Thor had hung up on him from the other line. His jaw clenched, long fingers deftly slipping his phone back into his pocket.  
Sif had been shot.

He struggled to keep from turning Thor's harsh words around in his mind, long legs moving forward as though they had a mind of their own, his traitorous limbs only stopping once he stood in front of his father.

Odin looked up at Loki from his seat, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Yes, Loki? What is it?"

Loki's hands clenched into fists quickly before relaxing and sliding back into his pockets.

"I have to go. There's.." He paused, eyes glancing over at Sigyn before looking back at his father. "Something that needs my attention."

Odin's blue eyes hardened, relaxation turning stiff, businesslike.

"And what would be so urgent that it requires you to leave right at this instant?"

"Sif has been shot whilst on duty." Loki let out, the words tumbling from his lips quickly.

Frigga let out a hushed gasp, her hand reaching out to grab Loki's and hold it tightly. Her skin felt warm against his cool skin; his hand gave hers a gentle squeeze.

Odin's head shook slightly.

"It's no concern of yours what happens to Miss Tyrsdottir. Sit down, we can discuss some things Sigyn found for the--"

Loki cut his father off. "It is my concern what happens to Sif, seeing as I love her. She has been hurt and I'm going to see her and frankly, I don't give a shit if it please you or not."

He turned to his mother, a small smile on her face. "Forgive my language." He lifted her hand up to his lips and planted a light kiss on her knuckle before letting her hand slip from his.

He turned to face Sigyn and Odin.

"Loki, darling, please sit down." Sigyn spoke calmly. "We have wedding details to discuss.."

"Listen to your fiancee." Odin said, the look in his eyes meant to bore holes into Loki.

"Father. Sigyn." Loki nodded curtly, turning on his heel and walking quickly back to his car.

Damn Thor for calling him.

* * * *

"I'm looking for a Sif Tyrsdottir?" Loki asked the nurse at the front desk, a young girl clad in Tweety Bird scrubs. She gave him her best flirty face as she directed him down the hall, Loki chuckling internally at her attempt at flirtation.

He thanked the girl, striding over to Sif's room. 

Thor walked out and stood in the doorway, his entire body in a protective stance. Loki arched an eyebrow as he strode toward Thor, keeping his expression impassive.

"Are you hospital security now? My, my, how the mighty have fallen.."

Thor's muscular arms crossed, his large form now filling the doorway.

"What are you doing here, Loki?"

Loki sighed as he straightened up; he slid a hand into the pocket of his trousers, fingers grazing the metallic trimming of his cell phone.

"I'm here to see how Sif is doing."

"So one minute you give a fuck about her and then the next, you do? I call bullshit."

Loki bared his teeth, lip curling in hostility. "Call it whatever you want, brother," he spat back. "I'm not here to see you. I'm here to see her and if I have to cut through you in order to do that, then by the Norns, I will do it without hesitation."

Thor and Loki glared at each other, neither showing signs of backing down.

Jane cleared her throat loudly from inside the room, joined by a soft grunt and the hushed rustle of sheets moving around on Sif's bed.

They both looked away from each other reluctantly and peered into the room, Sif staring back at them warily through half-lidded eyes.

Loki swallowed the lump in his throat, feet moving forward of their own accord as he squeezed past Thor into the room, his heart feeling heavier than it had before.

Thor gestured with his hand for Jane to step out into the hall with him and she rose quickly, shutting the door behind her on her way out, leaving Loki and Sif alone with nothing but the beep of her heart monitor filling the room.

* * * *

Loki stood by the side of Sif's hospital bed, the worried look on his face making him look like a small child again. Sif's eyelids fluttered as she tried to blink away the bleariness that was blurring her vision. 

Loki walked over to the chair in the corner, picking it up and setting it down next to Sif. He slid into the seat slowly, eyes taking in Sif's form.

"You fool. You could have died." His words came out quietly, his gaze settling on her tired face. Sif rolled her eyes at him, staring up ahead at the ceiling.

"Occupational hazard. You worry a lot for someone who is famous for being emotionless."

Loki scoffed, looking down at his hands clutching at his kness, the tension in the room becoming stifling.

"Why are you here, Odinsson?" Sif whispered.   
Erinite eyes met hazel orbs, his throat tightening, words he wanted to say lodging themselves in his throat. He sighed deeply before answering.

"Had to see for myself that you were doing okay. I don't particularly trust Thor's retelling of anything.." At that, she chuckled quietly. The corner of his mouth twitched before swttling back into a thin line.

"Sif, I'm sorry."

"You weren't the one that shot me, Loki."

"Not about that.. About everything." His brows furrowed, his green eyes lit with an emotion Sif couldn't recognize in her current state.

"I was -- I am -- a fool for not listening to you or Thor sooner. I just wanted my father to see that I could be worthy of his attention, his affection. I was so willing to do whatever he said without question to prove it."

He cleared his throat, eyes becoming glassy. His hands rested on the edge of her bed, fingers digging into the sheets.

"I could have lost you today. It took almost losing you forever to see that no matter what I did, I might never be Odin's favored one.."

Sif frowned slightly, a tear rolling down her cheek.  
"You're an idiot." She lightly placed one of her hands over his.

His eyebrows pulled together in a look of confusion before she continued speaking.

"You may not have been the All-Father's favorite, but you certainly were my favorite, you ass."

Loki let out a breathy chuckle, eyes still glistening with tears unshed. She held his hand loosely, a smile on her weary face. He sat up slowly, leaning over her to kiss the top of her head.

Loki winched as a fist lazily connected with his side. He straightened, shooting Sif an annoyed look. 

She smiled sweetly up at him.

"That's for being a dick."


End file.
